Epidemiology

Studies of the epidemiology of ankle fractures in patients over 65 years of age and in older women in the US suggest that they occur with a frequency of 1.5 to 5.3 per 1000 people, with the highest frequency being white women and the lowest being non-white men.[11][12] The most common fracture pattern is an isolated fibular fracture (51% to 58%) and then, in decreasing order of frequency, bimalleolar fracture (about 27%), trimalleolar fracture (about 14%), and isolated medial malleolar fracture (about 8%).[11][12] European and Canadian epidemiological data suggest that ankle fractures occur in patients with an average age of 40 to 46 years, and, in those younger than 65 years of age, the predominance is male. The most common mechanism is usually a fall (about 38% to 80%) and the most common fracture is of the lateral malleolus (70%).[4][13][14] Bimalleolar (16%), trimalleolar (7.5%), and isolated medial malleolar fractures (about 6%) follow a similar pattern to US studies.[4] Open fractures occur infrequently (1.7%), as do higher-energy fractures resulting from a motor vehicle accident (about 4%).[4]

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